Gardeners are being encouraged to help make felixstowe look its floral best this summer – by taking part in a range of competitions to show off their green fingers.

Felixstowe in Flower is being launched on Saturday, June 17, from 10am to noon at The Triangle, Hamilton Road.

The town council organises the annual event, funding with sponsorship help from businesses and organisations a floral trail and tubs and baskets through the resort, and also holds a series of free-to-enter competitions for residents and businesses.

These include private gardens, allotments, floral containers, commercial premises, residential homes, public houses, hotels and guest houses. The East of England Co-Operative Society has provided grow bags to schools and seeds for children to enter a tallest sunflower challenge.

Judging will take place in the summer and prizes are awarded to the best entries at the Felixstowe in Flower Awards ceremony in September.

Meanwhile, the cost of sponsoring a hanging basket for the summer is £50 for the first, with each additional basket only £30 each. Larger tubs and troughs are £65 each. A plaque bearing the name of the sponsor is put on the exhibit.

At the launch there wil be music from the Stowaways, free seeds, balloons and other goodies, and stands from the Felixstowe Horticultural Society and Girl Guides, who support the event. People will be able to find out more about the competitions and sponsorship, or they can visit www.felixstowe.gov.uk or call Sue Faversham on 01394 282086 or email sue.faversham@felixstowe.gov.uk.

All competition entry and sponsorship forms can be downloaded from our website. Alternatively people can drop in to the Town Hall (9am – 4pm Monday to Friday) or Felixstowe Library.